JP2011145538A - Covered optical fiber support member, optical connector attaching mechanism, optical connector and optical fiber terminating process - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable prompt optical fiber terminal processing by simplifying work procedure for placing an optical connector to a tip of a covered optical fiber. <P>SOLUTION: A covered optical fiber support member 10 has a fiber gripping section 16 having an elastic deformable first wall 14 which defines a first cavity 12 inside, and an appendage section 22 having a second wall 20 which inwardly defines a second cavity 18 that communicates with the first cavity 12. The fiber gripping section 16 can fixedly grip the covered optical fiber received in the first cavity 12 by the first wall 14 elastically deforming inwardly by receiving a pressing force from outside. The appendage section 22 can hold a subsequent region adjacent to a gripped region of the covered optical fiber gripped by the fiber gripping section 16 in the second space 18. The fiber gripping section 16 and the appendage section 22 are integrally formed with a material which itself has flexibility such as a thermoplastic elastomer and a synthetic rubber. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical fiber core support member that supports an optical fiber core wire. The present invention also relates to an optical connector mounting mechanism for mounting an optical connector on the tip of an optical fiber core wire. The present invention also relates to an optical connector provided with an optical connector mounting mechanism. The present invention also relates to an optical fiber terminal processing method for attaching an optical connector to the tip of an optical fiber core.

  An optical connector (that is, an optical fiber connection device) is attached to the end of an optical cable or optical cord in which an optical fiber core wire (that is, an optical fiber strand comprising a core and a cladding is coated) is accommodated in a jacket. In the processing of the end of the optical fiber to be attached, the tip region of a plurality of optical fiber cores built in the optical cable or the like is exposed from the jacket over a predetermined length, and an optical connector is individually attached to the end of each optical fiber core wire. A configuration for mounting is known. In this configuration, the optical fiber core wire exposed from the jacket is held in the main body of the optical connector, not the jacket of the optical cable or the like.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that “an optical fiber core wire is attached to an optical connector having a mechanical connection portion provided at a rear portion with a housing portion for housing a jacket fixing component for gripping a jacket of an optical cable. In the optical connector mounting method, with the optical fiber core wire on the optical connector mounting side protruding from the protective tube, the optical fiber core wire is inserted into the protective tube, and the outer side of the protective tube on the optical connector mounting side is outside. An optical connector is attached to the end of the optical fiber core by attaching a fixed part, attaching a mechanical connection portion of the optical connector to the protruding optical fiber core, and housing the outer cover fixing component in the storage portion. Attaching an optical connector to an optical fiber core wire, characterized by attaching an optical fiber ”,“ the latter half has a fine hole with a built-in optical fiber embedded in the first half. An optical fiber ferrule having a mechanical connection type optical fiber gripping part for holding an optical fiber to be connected to the optical fiber, a sheath gripping member for gripping the sheath of the optical cable on the rear end side of the optical fiber ferrule, and covering these The optical fiber core is composed of a housing, an optical fiber core to be connected, and a protective tube covering the outer periphery of the optical fiber core. Optical connector assembly characterized in that is mechanically connected to an optical fiber ferrule "," The outer shape is equivalent to a drop optical cable or an indoor optical cable, and the optical fiber core is housed and protected in an insertion hole formed inside Optical fiber core protection tube with function "and" Outer diameter same as the outer diameter of the optical cable with a rectangular cross section with long side and short side A compression stress is applied from both side surfaces of the optical fiber core protection tube having a shape and having an insertion hole larger than the outer dimension of the optical fiber core wire inserted in the longitudinal direction along the longitudinal direction. A cord temporary fixing device characterized in that the insertion hole is crushed, and the movement in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber core wire disposed in the insertion hole is temporarily or permanently fixed. Has been.

  Further, Patent Document 1 shows that each optical fiber core wire 10 formed by separating the optical fiber tape 10a from a single core is shown in FIG. 5 (a). Next, FIG. As shown, a protective tube 20 is placed on the optical fiber core 10. Next, as shown in Fig. 5 (c), an outer cover fixing part 42 is attached to the end of the protective tube on the connection side, and the protective tube is attached. The optical fiber core wire accommodated in the protective tube 20 and the insertion hole inside the protection tube 20 is temporarily fixed by attaching the core wire temporary fixing tool 30 in the middle of the optical fiber core 20. Next, as shown in FIG. The coating layer of the wire 10 is removed by leaving a fixed length from the jacket fixing part 45 using a coating removal tool (not shown), and the bare optical fiber 10 ′ thus removed is removed to a predetermined length using an optical fiber cutter (not shown). Next, as shown in FIG. The bare optical fiber 10 ′ cut to a certain length and the optical fiber core wire 10 of a predetermined length protruding from the protective tube 20 are attached to the mechanical splice portion 43 of the optical connector 40, and the optical connector 40, the optical fiber core wire 10, Next, as shown in Fig. 5 (f), the jacket fixing component 43 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 46 'of the housing 46 of the optical connector 40, and the core wire temporary fixing tool 30 is removed. The connection work is complete. "

JP 2008-89703 A

  In an optical fiber terminal processing in which an optical connector is attached to the tip of an optical fiber core, generally, a connector mounting member (“enclosure fixing component” or “exterior gripping member” in Patent Document 1) is attached to the optical fiber core. In the attached state, the coating of the tip region of the optical fiber core wire extending from the connector mounting member is removed over a predetermined length, and the optical fiber strand exposed from the coating (in Patent Document 1, “ An operation of cutting a bare optical fiber ") into a predetermined length is performed. The length from the connector mounting member to the tip of the optical fiber strand after cutting and the length of the exposed portion of the optical fiber strand after cutting are determined in advance according to the structure of the optical connector to be mounted. ing. Therefore, in the above work, it is necessary to surely prevent the optical fiber core from being displaced with respect to the connector mounting member due to the tensile force applied to the optical fiber when the sheath is removed or when the strand is cut. is there.

  In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, a protective tube having a sheath fixing part attached to one end and an optical fiber core inserted through the protective tube are temporarily connected at a position away from the sheath fixing part. In a state of being fixed to each other using a fixing tool, the coating removal and cutting of the tip region of the optical fiber core wire extending forward from the jacket fixing component is performed. The core wire temporary fixing tool is detached from the protective tube after the optical fiber core wire is connected to the optical connector using the jacket fixing component attached to the protective tube. In this configuration, since the step of attaching and detaching the core wire temporary fixing tool is necessary, the optical fiber terminal processing becomes complicated. In addition, since the protective tube and the optical fiber core are fixed to each other at a position away from the jacket fixing component, the protective tube is bent by the tensile force applied to the optical fiber core when the sheath is removed or the strand is cut. There is a concern that the bending of the optical fiber in the protective tube may be removed, and as a result, the optical fiber may be displaced relative to the jacket fixing member.

  The present invention simplifies the work procedure for attaching an optical connector to the tip of an optical fiber core wire so that optical fiber terminal processing can be performed quickly and accurately.

  In one aspect, an optical fiber core supporting member that supports an optical fiber core, the first optical wall having an elastically deformable first wall that defines a first cavity inside, the first wall receiving a pressing force from the outside. And a second wire that defines a second cavity communicating with the first cavity on the inside by a core wire gripping portion that securely holds the optical fiber core received in the first cavity by receiving and elastically deforming. And an attachment portion that accommodates a subsequent area of the grasped region of the optical fiber core held by the core wire gripping portion in the second space, and the core wire gripping portion and the attachment portion are integrated with each other. A formed optical fiber core support member is provided.

  In another aspect, an optical connector mounting mechanism for mounting an optical connector on the tip of an optical fiber core, the first wall having an elastically deformable first wall that defines a first space inside, the first wall An optical fiber core support member having a core wire gripping section for fixedly gripping the optical fiber core wire received in the first space by being elastically deformed by receiving a pressing force from the outside, and an optical fiber core wire An optical connector mounting mechanism is provided that includes a holding member that holds the support member in a state in which a pressing force is applied to the first wall of the core wire gripping portion from the outside.

  In still another aspect, an optical connector comprising the above-described optical connector mounting mechanism and a connector main body to which a holding member is attached is provided.

  According to still another aspect, there is provided an optical fiber terminal processing method for mounting an optical connector on the tip of an optical fiber core, the optical connector mounting mechanism described above is prepared, and the optical fiber core is connected to the optical fiber core. At the position where the tip region protrudes outward from the core wire gripping portion, it is supported by the optical fiber core support member, and the core wire grip portion of the optical fiber core support member that supports the optical fiber core wire is held by the holding member Then, the first wall is elastically deformed by a pressing force, and the grasped region of the optical fiber core wire received in the first space is fixedly held by the core wire gripping portion, and the core wire of the optical fiber core wire support member An optical fiber that removes the covering of the tip region of the optical fiber core wire whose gripping region is fixedly held by the gripping portion over a predetermined length and cuts the tip region into a predetermined length. A terminal processing method is provided.

  The above-described optical fiber core support member can support the optical fiber core wire fixedly by directly gripping the optical fiber core wire to the core wire gripping portion. In particular, the optical fiber core support member is a first wall of the core wire gripping portion by attaching the core wire gripping portion to the connector mounting member in the optical fiber terminal processing in which the optical connector is mounted on the tip of the optical fiber core wire. The optical fiber core wire can be fixed by receiving a required pressing force. In the optical fiber terminal processing, in the state where the optical fiber core supporting member supporting the optical fiber core is attached to the connector mounting member, the coating of the tip region of the optical fiber core extending from the connector mounting member, An operation of removing the optical fiber strand exposed from the coating to a predetermined length while removing it over a predetermined length is performed. Here, since the optical fiber core support member can be supported by directly fixing the optical fiber core wire to the core wire gripping portion, the tip end of the optical fiber core wire can be attached by attaching the core wire grip portion to the connector mounting member. The optical fiber core wire can be stably held at a predetermined position with respect to the connector mounting member against the tensile force applied to the optical fiber core wire during the region coating removal and the strand cutting operation. In addition, since there is no need to use a separate part for preventing misalignment of the optical fiber core wire, the step of attaching / detaching such a separate part becomes unnecessary, and the optical fiber terminal processing can be simplified. As described above, according to the optical fiber core support member, the work procedure for mounting the optical connector to the tip of the optical fiber core can be simplified, and the optical fiber end processing can be performed quickly and accurately. It becomes possible.

  In the optical connector mounting mechanism, the optical connector, and the optical fiber terminal processing method described above, the holding member has a configuration for holding the core wire gripping portion of the optical fiber core support member that supports the optical fiber core wire. From the above, when carrying out the coating removal of the tip region of the optical fiber core wire and the strand cutting operation in the optical fiber terminal processing, the optical fiber core wire is predetermined with respect to the holding member against the tensile force applied to the optical fiber core wire. It can be stably held in a different position. In addition, since there is no need to use a separate part for preventing misalignment of the optical fiber core wire, the step of attaching / detaching such a separate part becomes unnecessary, and the optical fiber terminal processing can be simplified. Therefore, according to the optical connector mounting mechanism, the optical connector and the optical fiber terminal processing method described above, the work procedure for mounting the optical connector to the tip of the optical fiber core wire is simplified, and the optical fiber terminal processing is performed quickly. And it becomes possible to carry out accurately. Further, if the holding member is configured so that it can be used as a connector mounting member for fixedly connecting the jacket of the drop optical cable for the aerial lead-in wire to the connector main body of the optical connector, the holding member is an optical fiber. The optical fiber core supporting member that supports the core wire has both the function of holding the core wire gripping portion and the function of holding the outer cover of the drop optical cable. Therefore, in this case, in the above-described optical fiber terminal processing method, the process after supporting the optical fiber core wire on the optical fiber core support member is substantially the same as the process in the terminal processing of the drop optical cable, This makes it easier for the operator to respond.

It is a perspective view of the optical fiber core wire support member by one embodiment of the present invention. 2A is a plan view, FIG. 2B is a front view, FIG. 2C is a bottom view, FIG. 1D is a side view on the arrow IId side, and FIG. 2E is a side view on the arrow IIe side. . 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIa-IIIa, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIb-IIIb. It is a side view corresponding to FIG.2 (d) of the optical fiber core wire holding member by a modification. It is a figure of the protection tube which can be used in combination with the optical fiber core wire support member of FIG. 1, (a) Front view, (b) Side view on arrow Vb side. It is a perspective view which shows the state which assembled | attached the protection tube of FIG. 5 to the optical fiber core wire support member of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which attached the optical fiber core wire support member with a protection tube of FIG. 6 to the optical fiber core wire. It is a perspective view which shows the optical fiber core wire support member by a modification in the state which assembled | attached the protection tube of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which attached the optical fiber core wire support member with a protection tube of FIG. 8 to the optical fiber core wire. It is a perspective view of the optical fiber core wire support member by other modifications. It is a perspective view which shows the state which attached the optical fiber core wire support member of FIG. 10 to the optical fiber core wire. It is a perspective view of the holding member used with the optical fiber terminal processing method by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the holding member of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the optical connector mounting mechanism by one Embodiment of this invention in the state which hold | gripped the optical fiber core wire. It is a perspective view which shows the optical connector mounting mechanism of FIG. 14 in another state which hold | gripped the optical fiber core wire. It is a figure explaining the coating removal and strand cutting operation | work of the optical fiber core wire in the optical connector mounting mechanism shown in FIG. 15, (a) State before coating removal, (b) State after coating removal, (c) Wire Each state after cutting is shown. It is a perspective view which shows the state just before attaching the optical connector mounting mechanism of FIG.16 (c) to the connector main body of an optical connector. It is a perspective view which shows the state immediately after attaching the optical connector mounting mechanism of FIG.16 (c) to the connector main body of an optical connector. It is a partial enlarged front view explaining the function of a holding member, (a) The state which locked the holding member in the position where an optical fiber core wire bends, (b) The state which cancelled | released locking of the holding member is each shown. It is a partial expansion perspective view which shows the state which fixed the holding member. It is a perspective view of the optical connector by one Embodiment of this invention with which the optical fiber core wire was mounted | worn.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Corresponding components are denoted by common reference symbols throughout the drawings.
1 is a perspective view of an optical fiber core support member 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a five-face view of the optical fiber core support member 10, and FIG. FIG. As will be described later, the optical fiber core support member 10 is typically an optical connector (not shown) at the tip of an optical fiber core (not shown) (that is, an optical fiber strand comprising a core and a cladding). That is, it is used in an optical fiber terminal process for mounting (that is, an optical fiber connecting device). However, the use of the optical fiber core support member 10 is not limited to this.

  The optical fiber core support member 10 includes a core wire gripping portion 16 having a first wall 14 that is elastically deformable that defines a first cavity 12 inside, and a second cavity 18 that communicates with the first cavity 12. And an appendage 22 having a second wall 20 defined inside. The core wire gripping portion 16 holds the optical fiber core wire (not shown) received in the first cavity 12 in a fixed manner by the first wall 14 receiving an urging force from the outside and elastically deforming inward. can do. The attachment portion 22 can accommodate the subsequent region adjacent to the grasped region of the optical fiber core wire gripped by the core wire gripping portion 16 in the second space 18. The core wire gripping portion 16 and the attachment portion 22 are integrally formed with each other from a material having flexibility in itself such as a thermoplastic elastomer or a synthetic rubber.

  The first wall 14 of the core wire gripping portion 16 has a pair of wall portions 24 arranged to face each other in parallel. Each of the wall portions 24 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped plate-like shape, and is integrally connected to the attachment portion 22 at one end in the longitudinal direction thereof, and is a part away from the attachment portion 22 (in the longitudinal direction in the figure). The other end 26a and the portion 26b adjacent to the attachment portion 22 are integrally connected to each other locally (FIG. 3). The first cavity 12 is composed of a slit 28 defined between the opposed surfaces 24a of the pair of wall portions 24 (FIG. 2). In the illustrated embodiment, the slits 28 partially open at both ends in the longitudinal direction and one end in the lateral direction (lower end in the figure) of the first wall 14 and the other end in the lateral direction (upper end in the figure) of the first wall 14. (FIGS. 2 and 3). The interconnecting portions 26a and 26b of the pair of wall portions 24 form the bottom surface of the slit 28 that is partially opened, and the optical fiber core wire received in the slit 28 is the geometrical shape of the first wall 14. Can function to center.

  In the core wire gripping portion 16 having such a configuration, both wall portions 24 are relatively easily bent by the pressing force applied to the pair of wall portions 24 of the first wall 14 in the mutual approach direction, and the width W ( 2 (d): the dimension of the first wall 14 as viewed in the thickness direction) is reduced, and it is relatively easy to reach the state where the mutually facing surfaces 24a are in contact with each other. Therefore, when a pressing force in the mutual approach direction is applied to both wall portions 24 of the first wall 14 in a state where the optical fiber core wire is received in the slit 28, both wall portions 24 are obtained even if the pressing force is relatively small. Are elastically in close contact with the optical fiber core at the mutual facing surface 24a, and the optical fiber core is held by the gripping force 16 acting in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber core received in the slit 28. Can be fixed and gripped.

  Note that the first space 12 of the core wire gripping portion 16 has an excessive pressing force for causing required deformation of the pair of wall portions 24 by selecting the shape, size, material, and the like of the first wall 14. It is possible to have various configurations other than the illustrated slit 28 on the assumption that this is not necessary. For example, the first space 12 can be constituted by a through-hole penetrating the first wall 14 in the longitudinal direction or a groove that does not open to the lower end in the drawing of the first wall 14. In either case, the first cavity 12 can be formed to pass through the geometric center of the first wall 14. Further, the dimension of the first space 12 (for example, the width W of the slit 28) viewed in the thickness direction of the first wall 14 is such that the optical fiber core wire is supported in a normal state (that is, when the pair of wall portions 24 are not deformed). The member 10 can be made approximately equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the optical fiber core wire to be supported.

  In addition, the pair of wall portions 24 constituting the first wall 14 of the core wire gripping portion 16 are each illustrated in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape on the assumption that the first space 12 having a required shape and size can be defined between them. It can have various shapes other than. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the outer surface 24b on the lower end side of the pair of wall portions 24 can be formed as a cylindrical curved surface. Or although not shown in figure, the outer surface of an upper end side can also be formed in a curved surface in the figure of a pair of wall part 24. FIG. The core wire gripping portion 16 having the curved outer surface 24b on the lower end side or the upper end side of the pair of wall portions 24, as will be described later, when performing an optical fiber end treatment using the optical fiber core support member 10, There is a special effect. Further, each of the pair of wall portions 24 may have an elliptical or oval outer shape when viewed in the direction corresponding to FIG. In either case, the pair of wall portions 24 can have the same shape.

  The optical fiber support member 10 can be used in combination with the protective tube 30 shown in FIG. The protective tube 30 includes a tubular main body portion 32 and an annular locking portion 34 that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface at one longitudinal end of the main body portion 32. The protective tube 30 has a predetermined length as a whole, and can accommodate a predetermined length region of the optical fiber core wire in the through passage 32 a inside the main body portion 32. The protection tube 30 functions to physically protect a predetermined length region of the optical fiber core housed in the through passage 32 a by the tubular wall of the main body portion 32.

  The optical fiber core support member 10 is provided with a protective tube receiving portion 36 for receiving the protective tube 30 containing the optical fiber core wire in the attachment portion 22 for the purpose of enabling the assembly of the protective tube 30. The protective tube receiving portion 36 includes, as the second wall 20 of the attachment portion 22, a front end wall portion 38 adjacent to the core wire gripping portion 16, a rear end wall portion 40 opposite to the core wire gripping portion 16, and a core wire. A side wall portion 42 that is formed between the grip portion 16 (or the front end wall portion 38) and the rear end wall portion 40 and defines the second cavity 18 is provided. The second wall 20 of the attachment portion 22 constituting the protective tube receiving portion 36 as a whole has a substantially cylindrical shape that bulges radially outward with respect to the substantially rectangular parallelepiped first wall 14 of the core wire gripping portion 16. It has an outer shape.

  In the front end wall portion 38 of the protective tube receiving portion 36, the slit 28 of the core wire gripping portion 16 is opened, and a tapered surface 44 that gradually spreads toward the second space 18 side along the opening edge of the slit 28 is provided. . A side opening 46 for storing the locking portion 34 of the protective tube 30 in the second space 18 is provided in the side wall portion 42 so as to communicate with the opening of the slit 28. The rear end wall portion 40 is provided with an end surface opening 48 through which the main body portion 32 of the protective tube 30 in which the locking portion 34 is stored in the second space 18 is inserted (FIG. 3).

  The side opening 46 provided in the side wall portion 42 has a size and a shape that allow the locking portion 34 of the protective tube 30 to be inserted without hindrance. The end surface opening 48 provided in the rear end wall portion 40 has a size and shape that allows the main body portion 32 of the protective tube 30 to be inserted without hindrance, but prevents the locking portion 34 from being inserted. The second space 18 has an inner surface shape with a U-shaped cross section that is opened at the side opening 46 so that the locking portion 34 of the protective tube 30 can be stably stored (FIG. 3B).

  The optical fiber core support member 10 provided with the protective tube receiving portion 36 in the attachment 22 can support the optical fiber core in a state where the optical fiber core is accommodated in the protective tube 30. Therefore, it is possible to prevent damage to the optical fiber core supported by the optical fiber core support member 10 in the optical fiber terminal processing operation and the optical connection / wiring operation.

  The optical fiber core wire support member 10 further includes an elastically deformable cylindrical boot portion 50 integrally connected to the protective tube receiving portion 36 on the side opposite to the core wire gripping portion 16 on the attachment portion 22. . The boot part 50 has a porous cylindrical third wall 52 that is integrally connected to the rear end wall part 40 of the protective tube receiving part 36 at one end. The third wall 52 defines, on the inside, a third cavity 54 that communicates with the second cavity 18 via the end surface opening 48 of the rear end wall portion 40 of the protective tube receiving portion 36. The third space 54 opens at the end 52 a of the third wall 52 opposite to the protective tube receiving portion 36. The third wall 52 of the boot portion 50 has a substantially cylindrical outer shape that is reduced radially inward with respect to the substantially cylindrical second wall 20 of the protective tube receiving portion 36 as a whole. Further, as shown in the drawing, the third wall 52 of the boot portion 50 may be shaped such that the outer diameter is gradually reduced toward the end portion 52a. The third wall 52 may be provided with a plurality of notches 56 as shown in the drawing, which locally open the third voids 54 to the side as needed. The boot portion 50 can accommodate the main body portion 32 of the protective tube 30 in which the locking portion 34 is stored in the second space 18 of the protective tube receiving portion 36 in the third space 54.

  The optical fiber core wire support member 10 provided with the boot portion 50 connected to the protection tube receiving portion 36 in the attachment portion 22 can be supported in a state where the optical fiber core wire is accommodated in the protection tube 30. In addition, when a bending force is applied to the main body portion 32 of the protective tube 30 that accommodates the optical fiber core wire, the boot portion 50 bends with an appropriate curvature according to the bending force without causing local bending. Concentration of bending stress on the optical fiber core housed in the protective tube 30 and signal deterioration of optical transmission due to this can be prevented.

  When the protective tube 30 is assembled to the optical fiber core support member 10, first, the main body portion 32 of the protective tube 30 is protected from the end opposite to the locking portion 34 to protect the optical fiber core wire support member 10. The tube is inserted into the second space 18 through the side opening 46 of the tube receiving portion 36, and further inserted into the third space 54 of the boot portion 50 through the end surface opening 48. When the protective tube 30 is inserted into the protective tube receiving portion 36 until the main body portion 32 extends outward from the end portion 52a of the third wall 52 through the third space 54 of the boot portion 50 by a predetermined length. The locking portion 34 of the protective tube 30 is stored in the second cavity 18 through the side opening 46 of the protective tube receiving portion 36.

  FIG. 6 shows a state in which the protective tube 30 is properly assembled to the optical fiber core support member 10. In this state, the protective tube 30 is prevented from falling off through the third space 54 of the boot portion 50 when the locking portion 34 abuts against the rear end wall portion 40 of the protective tube receiving portion 36. Note that the protective tube 30 and the second wall 20 of the protective tube receiving portion 36 and the third wall 52 of the boot portion 50 have a dimensional relationship in which an appropriate gap is formed between them.

  FIG. 7 shows a state where the optical fiber core support member 10 with the protective tube 30 assembled is attached to the optical fiber core 58. When attaching the optical fiber core support member 10 assembled with the protection tube 30 to the optical fiber core 58, the main body portion 32 of the protection tube 30 extending outward from the boot portion 50 of the optical fiber core support member 10. The optical fiber core wire 58 is inserted into the distal end opening 32b (FIG. 5A) from the tip. The optical fiber core wire 58 passes through the through-passage 32a (FIG. 5A) of the protective tube 30 and passes through the boot portion 50 and the protective tube receiving portion 36 of the optical fiber core wire support member 10 without any obstacles. It is guided by the tapered surface 44 provided on the front end wall portion 38 of the receiving portion 36 and enters the slit 28 of the core wire gripping portion 16.

  At this time, if the outer diameter of the optical fiber core 58 is smaller than the width W (FIG. 2D) of the slit 28 in a normal state (that is, when the pair of wall portions 24 are not deformed), the optical fiber core 58 is It passes smoothly through the slit 28 of the core wire gripping portion 16 in the longitudinal direction. In this way, the optical fiber core support member 10 can be attached to a desired position near the tip of the optical fiber core 58. When an appropriate pressing force is applied to the pair of wall portions 24 of the core wire gripping portion 16 of the optical fiber core wire supporting member 10 in this attachment position, the optical fiber core wire 58 is fixed to the core wire gripping portion 16. And is gripped. In this gripping state, the protective tube 30 accommodating the optical fiber core wire 58 is also reliably prevented from falling off the optical fiber core wire support member 10.

  The optical fiber core support member 10 having the above-described configuration can support the optical fiber core wire 58 by holding the optical fiber core wire 58 directly on the core wire gripping portion 16. In particular, in the optical fiber core support member 10, in the optical fiber terminal processing in which an optical connector (not shown) is mounted on the tip of the optical fiber core 58, the core wire gripping portion 16 is attached to a connector mounting member described later. Thus, the optical fiber core wire 58 can be fixed by receiving a required pressing force on the first wall 14 of the core wire gripping portion 16. In this optical fiber terminal processing, the tip region of the optical fiber core 58 extending from the connector mounting member in a state where the optical fiber core support member 10 supporting the optical fiber core 58 is attached to the connector mounting member. Is removed over a predetermined length, and an optical fiber (not shown) exposed from the coating is cut into a predetermined length. Here, since the optical fiber core support member 10 can support the optical fiber core wire 58 by directly fixing the optical fiber core wire 58 to the core wire gripping portion 16, the optical fiber core wire support member 10 can be attached to the connector mounting member. The optical fiber core wire 58 is stably positioned at a predetermined position with respect to the connector mounting member against the tensile force applied to the optical fiber core wire 58 during the coating removal and strand cutting operation of the core wire 58. Can be held. In addition, since there is no need to use a separate part for preventing misalignment of the optical fiber core wire, such as the “core wire temporary fixing tool” described in Patent Document 1, the attachment / detachment of such a separate part is possible. A process becomes unnecessary and an optical fiber terminal process can be simplified. Thus, according to the optical fiber core support member 10, the work procedure for attaching the optical connector to the tip of the optical fiber core 58 is simplified, and the optical fiber terminal processing is performed quickly and accurately. It becomes possible.

  The above-described effects produced by the optical fiber core support member 10 depend solely on the characteristic configuration of the core wire gripping portion 16. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 as a modified example (optical fiber core support member 10 ′), the attachment portion 22 has only the protective tube receiving portion 36 and does not have the boot portion 50. You can also In this configuration, the protective tube 30 is configured such that the locking portion 34 is stored in the second cavity 18 of the protective tube receiving portion 36, while substantially the entire body portion 32 is the rear end wall portion of the protective tube receiving portion 36. It is exposed to the outside of the optical fiber core wire support member 10 ′ through the end face opening 48 provided in 40. The optical fiber core 58 extends from the distal end to the end opening 32b (FIG. 5A) of the main body portion 32 of the protective tube 30 extending outward from the protective tube receiving portion 36 of the optical fiber core support member 10 '. It is inserted, passes through the through-passage 32a (FIG. 5A) of the protective tube 30, and passes through the slit 28 of the core wire gripping portion 16. Thus, the optical fiber core support member 10 ′ can be attached to a desired position near the tip of the optical fiber core 58.

  Further, the optical fiber core support member 10 can be used without being combined with the protective tube 30. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 as another modified example (optical fiber core wire support member 10 ″), the attachment portion 22 has only the boot portion 50 and the protective tube receiving portion 36. In other words, the optical fiber core support member 10 ″ has the second wall 52 and the second space 54 (the third wall 52 of the optical fiber core support member 10, respectively) as the attachment portion 22. And an elastically deformable cylindrical boot portion 50 having an equivalent to the third space 54). In this configuration, the optical fiber core 58 is inserted from the front end into the opening of the end portion 52a of the boot portion 50 of the optical fiber core support member 10 ″, passes through the second space 54 of the boot portion 50, and enters the core. The optical fiber core support member 10 ″ can be attached to a desired position near the tip of the optical fiber core 58 by passing through the slit 28 of the wire gripping portion 16. Although not shown, the optical fiber core support member 10 may be configured to have only the core wire gripping portion 16 without the attachment portion 22 (protective tube receiving portion 36, boot portion 50).

  The optical fiber core support members 10, 10 ′, 10 ″ can be formed from various materials. For example, cross-linked elastomer (TPV), urethane elastomer (TPU), polyester elastomer (TPEE: “Hytrel”, for example. The core wire gripping portion 16 and the attachment portion 22 can be integrally formed from a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) such as (registered trademark) ”or a synthetic rubber such as silicone rubber. In particular, the material of the core wire gripping portion 16 preferably has a hardness of about Shore A 65 to 85.

  The optical fiber core support members 10, 10 ′, 10 ″ can have various dimensions. For example, the core wire gripping portion 16 has a length L = 5.2 ± 1 mm, a height H = 3 mm, and a thickness. It can have dimensions of T ≧ 2.1 mm and the width W of slit 28 = 0.3 ± 1 mm (FIG. 2). These dimensions were obtained using optical fiber core support members 10, 10 ′, 10 ″. This corresponds to the size of a connector mounting member described later used in the optical fiber terminal processing. For example, when the protective tube receiving portion 36 has a substantially cylindrical shape, the protective tube receiving portion 36 can have dimensions of an outer diameter = 1.1 mm and a length = 3 mm. These dimensions correspond to the dimensions of the protective tube 30 in circulation as a standard product. For example, when the boot portion 50 has a substantially cylindrical shape, the boot portion 50 can have dimensions of an outer diameter = 2.3 mm and a length = 12.6 mm.

  The optical fiber core support members 10, 10 ′, and 10 ″ have the above-described various conditions on condition that the optical fiber gripper 16 can grip and hold the optical fiber core 58 to be gripped with a force of, for example, 5 N or more. The gripping force (force acting in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber core 58 received in the slit 28) can be formed by appropriately combining the shape, size, and material. In order to stably hold the optical fiber core wire 58 in a predetermined position with respect to the connector mounting member against the tensile force applied to the optical fiber core wire 58 during the coating removal of the wire 58 and the strand cutting operation. This is a necessary force and can be set by experimentation.

  Next, referring to FIG. 12 to FIG. 21, the optical connector mounting mechanism 111 (FIG. 14) and the optical fiber core support member 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention including the optical fiber core support member 10 are provided. The optical connector 100 (FIG. 21) according to the embodiment of the present invention and the optical fiber terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention in which the optical connector 100 is attached to the tip of the optical fiber core 58 using the optical fiber core support member 10. A processing method will be described.

  In the optical fiber terminal processing method according to the embodiment of the present invention using the optical fiber core support member 10, the optical fiber core support member 10 is used as a connector mounting member for attaching the optical fiber core support member 10 to the connector main body 102 (FIG. 17). 12 and the holding member 104 shown in FIG. 13 is used. The holding member 104 can hold the optical fiber core support member 10 (FIG. 1) in a state where a pressing force is applied from the outside to the first wall 14 of the core wire gripping part 16. A pressing and holding portion 106 that receives the first wall 14 and applies a pressing force in a mutually approaching direction to the pair of wall portions 24, and a lid portion that is connected to the pressing and holding portion 106 through a hinge portion 108 that can be bent repeatedly. 110 are integrally provided. The holding member 104 constitutes an optical connector mounting mechanism 111 for mounting the optical connector 100 on the tip of the optical fiber core 58 in cooperation with the optical fiber core support member 10.

  The pressing holding portion 106 of the holding member 104 includes a bottom wall 112 and a pair of side walls 114 erected from the bottom wall 112. The pair of side walls 114 are disposed on the bottom wall 112 so as to face each other in parallel, and a recess 116 for receiving the core wire gripping portion 16 of the optical fiber core support member 10 is formed between the side walls 114. . A plurality of saw blade-like protrusions 118 that apply a required pressing force to the core wire gripping portion 16 of the optical fiber core wire support member 10 are formed on the mutually facing surfaces 114a of the both side walls 114 so as to face each other. (FIG. 13). The interval between the tips of the protruding ridges 118 facing each other is set to be somewhat smaller than the thickness T (FIG. 2D) of the first wall 14 of the core wire gripping portion 16 of the optical fiber core wire support member 10. With such a dimensional relationship, the core wire gripping portion 16 can be obtained simply by fitting the first wall 14 of the core wire gripping portion 16 of the optical fiber core wire supporting member 10 into the recess 116 of the pressing holding portion 106 of the holding member 104. However, a pressing force necessary to exert the above-described gripping force on the optical fiber core 58 is applied to the first wall 14 (the pair of wall portions 24) from the plurality of protrusions 118. In addition, the height of each side wall 114 on the bottom wall 112 is set to be substantially equal to the height H (FIG. 2B) of the first wall 14 of the core wire gripping portion 16 of the optical fiber core support member 10. The

  The hinge portion 108 of the holding member 104 is, for example, a thin-walled portion formed of the same material as the pressure holding portion 106 and the lid portion 110, and the hinge portion 108 is bent along the folding line 108 a, so that the lid for the pressure holding portion 106 is formed. The rotation opening / closing operation of the unit 110 is enabled. The lid portion 110 is centered on the hinge portion 108 between a closed position that closes the upper end opening (opening opposite to the bottom wall 112) of the recess 116 of the pressing holding portion 106 and an open position that opens the opening. It is a flat plate-like element that can be rotated. The inner surface 120 of the lid part 110 rattles the core wire gripping part 16 of the optical fiber core wire support member 10 in cooperation with the recess 116 of the press holding part 106 when the lid part 110 is in the closed position. Hold without. The pressing holding portion 106 and the lid portion 110 are provided with male and female engaging elements 122 and 124 that snap the lid portion 110 to the closed position.

  The holding member 104 having the above configuration is used, for example, as a connector mounting member for fixedly connecting the outer cover of the drop optical cable to the connector body when mounting an optical connector corresponding to the drop optical cable for an aerial lead-in wire. It can have a possible configuration. In general, a drop optical cable substantially includes an optical fiber core and a pair of strength members (for example, steel wire, FRP (strength fiber), etc.) disposed on both sides of the optical fiber core. Built in without gaps. The pressing holding portion 106 of the holding member 104 can have a shape and a dimension that can hold the outer cover of the drop optical cable in the recess 116 in a fixed manner. In this case, the holding member 104 has a function of holding the core wire gripping portion 16 of the optical fiber core support member 10 that supports the optical fiber core wire 58 in the recess 116 of the press holding portion 106, and a jacket of the drop optical cable. It has both functions, the function of holding in the recess 116 of the press holding unit 106. Therefore, in this case, in the optical fiber terminal processing method, the process after the optical fiber core wire 58 is supported by the optical fiber core support member 10 is substantially the same as the process in the terminal processing of the drop optical cable. This makes it easier for the operator to respond.

  FIG. 14 shows a state in which the core wire gripping portion 16 of the optical fiber core wire support member 10 that supports the optical fiber core wire 58 is held in the recess 116 of the press holding portion 106 of the holding member 104 in the optical connector mounting mechanism 111. Indicates. In the optical fiber terminal processing method according to the embodiment of the present invention, first, at a position where a predetermined length region (for example, about 40 mm to 50 mm) at the tip of the optical fiber core wire 58 protrudes outward from the core wire gripping portion 16, As described above, the optical fiber core wire 58 is supported by the core wire gripping portion 16 and the attachment portion 22 (the protective tube receiving portion 36 and the boot portion 50) of the optical fiber core wire support member 10 using the protection tube 30. Next, the core wire gripping portion 16 of the optical fiber core support member 10 that supports the optical fiber core wire 58 is moved from the upper end opening of the recess 116 to the bottom wall 112 to the recess 116 of the pressing holding portion 106 of the holding member 104. By inserting the core wire gripping portion 16 toward the holding portion 106, the first wall 14 of the core wire gripping portion 16 is elastically deformed by the pressing force applied from the plurality of protrusions 118. As a result, the grasped region of the optical fiber core 58 received in the first space 12 (slit 28) is fixedly gripped by the core wire gripping portion 16. In this state, by moving the lid 110 of the holding member 104 from the open position to the closed position, it is possible to prevent the optical fiber core support member 10 from dropping from the recess 116 of the holding member 104 (FIG. 15). ).

  When the core wire gripping portion 16 of the optical fiber core wire support member 10 is inserted into the recess 116 of the press holding portion 106 of the holding member 104, as shown in the figure, the fully open side of the slit 28 of the core wire gripping portion 16 is opened. The core wire gripping part 16 can be inserted into the recess 116 in a posture directed to the side opposite to the bottom wall 112 (FIG. 12) of the pressing holding part 106. In this case, as described with reference to FIG. 4, the outer surface 24 b on the lower end side is formed as a cylindrical curved surface in the drawing of the pair of wall portions 24 of the core wire gripping portion 16, thereby entering the recess 116. The insertion of the core wire gripping portion 16 can be facilitated. Although not shown, the direction in which the optical fiber core 58 is pushed out from the slit 28 by the pressing force gradually applied to the core wire gripping portion 16 from the press holding portion 106 when the core wire gripping portion 16 is inserted into the recess 116. In order to prevent the positional deviation from occurring, the posture in which the fully open side of the slit 28 of the core wire gripping portion 16 faces the side facing the bottom wall 112 (FIG. 12) of the pressing holding portion 106 (that is, the posture of FIG. 14). The core wire gripping portion 16 can be inserted into the recess 116 in a posture opposite to that shown in FIG. In this case, as described above, the outer surface on the upper end side in the figure of the pair of wall portions 24 of the core wire gripping portion 16 is formed as a cylindrical curved surface, whereby the core wire gripping portion 16 to the recess 116 is formed. Insertion can be facilitated.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 16, for the optical fiber core wire 58 (FIG. 16A) fixedly held by the optical fiber core support member 10 (core wire gripping portion 16), for example, a dedicated device not shown The coating 58a in the tip region of the optical fiber core wire 58 is removed over a predetermined length by manual work using a tool, and the optical fiber strand 58b is exposed (FIG. 16B). Furthermore, the optical fiber strand 58b exposed in the tip region of the optical fiber core wire 58 is cut into a predetermined length by, for example, a manual operation using a dedicated tool (not shown) (FIG. 16C). During the coating removal and strand cutting operation of the tip region of the optical fiber core 58, the optical fiber core support member 10 directly fixes the optical fiber core 58 to the core gripping portion 16 as described above. Therefore, the optical fiber core wire 58 can be stably held at a predetermined position with respect to the holding member 104 against the tensile force applied to the optical fiber core wire 58.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the holding member 104 (that is, the optical connector mounting mechanism 111 in the state of FIG. 16C) holding the optical fiber core support member 10 (the core wire gripping portion 16). Is attached to the connector main body 102 of the optical connector 100. Here, as shown in FIG. 21, the optical connector 100 includes a ferrule 126 (only the tip shown) and a splice portion 128 arranged on the tip side of the connector main body 102. In the optical connector 100, a built-in optical fiber having a predetermined length that is fixedly supported by the ferrule 126 in advance and the optical fiber core support member 10 and the holding member 104 are introduced from the rear end side of the connector body 102. The optical fiber strand 58b (FIG. 16C) at the tip of the optical fiber core wire 58 is firmly fixed and interconnected by the splice portion 128 in a state where the tips are butted together. This configuration is known as a so-called field assembly type optical connector. The illustrated optical connector 100 is detachably provided with an operating member 130 for manually operating the splice unit 128 to interconnect the built-in optical fiber and the optical fiber 58b.

  The optical connector 100 includes an attachment portion 132 for attaching the holding member 104 to the rear end of the connector main body 102. A fixing member 134 for fixing the holding member 104 is installed in the mounting portion 132 in advance. While inserting the optical fiber core wire 58 supported by the optical fiber core support member 10 into the main body of the connector main body 102 from the rear end of the connector main body 102, the optical fiber core support member 10 (the core wire gripping portion 16) is inserted. ) Is held in the mounting portion 132 (FIG. 17). Then, when the built-in optical fiber strand of the ferrule 126 and the exposed optical fiber strand 58b (FIG. 16) of the optical fiber core wire 58 are abutted with each other in the splice portion 128, the holding member 104 is attached. The holding member 104 is disposed at a position where the optical fiber core wire 58 is slightly bent by further pushing into the portion 132 (FIG. 18). At this position, for example, as shown in FIG. 19 (a), the claw 136 provided on the holding member 104 is engaged with the mounting portion 132, and the built-in optical fiber strand and the optical fiber strand 58b are in a butted state. To maintain.

  In the state where the built-in optical fiber strand and the optical fiber strand 58b are attached to each other in the splice portion 128, the operating member 130 is operated, and the splice portion 128 is operated to operate the built-in optical fiber strand and the optical fiber. The strands 58b are connected to each other. Thereafter, the actuating member 130 that has become unnecessary can be detached from the connector main body 102. Next, the engagement between the claw 136 of the holding member 104 and the attachment portion 132 is released, and the bending of the optical fiber core wire 58 is removed (FIG. 19B). In this state, the fixing member 134 is moved on the attachment portion 132, and the arm of the fixing member 134 is engaged with the holding member 104, thereby fixing the holding member 104 to the attachment portion 132 (FIG. 20). Thereby, the assembly of the optical connector 100 is completed, and the optical fiber terminal processing for mounting the optical connector 100 on the tip of the optical fiber core wire 58 is completed (FIG. 21). As a means for fixing the holding member 104 to the attachment portion 132, instead of the fixing member 134, for example, a cover-like member pivotally supported by the connector main body 102 is covered on the holding member 104 so that the holding member 104 is attached. Other configurations, such as a fixed configuration, can also be employed.

  Since the optical connector 100 having the above configuration has a configuration in which the holding member 104 holds the core wire gripping portion 16 of the optical fiber core support member 10 that supports the optical fiber core wire 58, as described above. The optical fiber core wire 58 is held on the holding member 104 against the tensile force applied to the optical fiber core wire 58 when performing the coating removal and strand cutting operation on the tip region of the optical fiber core wire 58 in the optical fiber terminal processing. On the other hand, it can be stably held at a predetermined position. In addition, since there is no need to use a separate part for preventing misalignment of the optical fiber core wire, such as the “core wire temporary fixing tool” described in Patent Document 1, the attachment / detachment of such a separate part is possible. A process becomes unnecessary and an optical fiber terminal process can be simplified. Therefore, according to the optical connector 100, the work procedure for mounting the optical connector 100 on the tip of the optical fiber core wire 58 can be simplified, and the optical fiber terminal processing can be performed quickly and accurately. .

  Further, in the optical connector 100, as described above, the holding member 104 holds the core wire gripping portion 16 of the optical fiber core wire support member 10 that supports the optical fiber core wire 58 in the recess 116 of the press holding portion 106. And a function of holding the outer cover of the drop optical cable in the recess 116 of the pressing holding portion 106 can be configured to have both functions. According to this configuration, for example, an optical connector 100 can be used to attach an optical connector 100 individually to the ends of a plurality of optical fiber cores incorporated in an optical cable or the like, and a drop optical cable for an overhead lead-in wire can be optically connected. It is possible to appropriately deal with both the application for mounting the connector 100 on site.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 10 ', 10 "optical fiber core line support member 12 1st space 14 1st wall 16 core wire holding part 18 2nd space 20 2nd wall 22 Accessory part 24 Wall part 28 Slit 30 Protection tube 32 Main body part 34 Locking portion 36 Protection tube receiving portion 50 Boot portion 52 Third wall 54 Third space 58 Optical fiber core wire 100 Optical connector 102 Connector main body 104 Holding member 111 Optical connector mounting mechanism 116 Recess

Claims (9)

An optical fiber core support member for supporting an optical fiber core,
An optical fiber core received in the first cavity by having an elastically deformable first wall defining an inner side of the first cavity and elastically deforming the first wall by receiving a pressing force from the outside. A core wire gripping section for gripping
A second wall defining a second cavity communicating with the first cavity on the inner side; and a region subsequent to the grasped region of the optical fiber core gripped by the core wire gripper is defined as the second cavity And an accessory part accommodated in the
The core wire gripping part and the attachment part are formed integrally with each other,
Optical fiber core support member. 2. The light according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber core wire is supported in a state of being accommodated in a protective tube having a predetermined length having a tubular main body portion and a locking portion protruding from an outer surface of the main body portion. In the fiber core support member,
The optical fiber core wire support member according to claim 1, wherein the attachment portion includes a protective tube receiving portion that receives a protective tube containing the optical fiber core wire.   The protective tube receiving portion is formed between the end wall portion opposite to the core wire gripping portion and the core wire grip portion and the end wall portion as the second wall of the attachment portion. A side wall portion defining a second cavity, and a side opening for storing the locking portion of the protective tube in the second cavity is provided in the side wall part, and the end wall part includes the side wall opening. The core wire support member according to claim 2, wherein an end face opening is provided through which the main body portion of the protective tube having the locking portion stored in the second space is inserted.   The attachment portion further includes an elastically deformable cylindrical boot portion integrally connected to the protective tube receiving portion on the side opposite to the core wire gripping portion, and the boot portion is interposed through the end surface opening. A body portion of a protective tube having a third wall defining an inner side of a third cavity communicating with the second cavity, wherein a locking portion is stored in the second cavity. The optical fiber core wire support member according to claim 3, wherein the optical fiber core wire support member is housed.   2. The optical fiber support member according to claim 1, wherein the attachment includes an elastically deformable cylindrical boot having the second wall and the second space.   The said 1st wall of the said core wire holding part has a pair of wall part which mutually opposes, and the said 1st space is comprised from the slit defined between this pair of wall part. The optical fiber support member according to any one of? An optical connector mounting mechanism for mounting an optical connector on the tip of an optical fiber core,
An optical fiber core received in the first cavity by having an elastically deformable first wall defining an inner side of the first cavity and elastically deforming the first wall by receiving a pressing force from the outside. An optical fiber core support member having a core wire gripping portion that holds the core wire fixedly, and a state in which the pressing force is applied to the first wall of the core wire grip portion from the outside. A holding member held by
An optical connector mounting mechanism comprising: An optical connector mounting mechanism according to claim 7,
A connector body to which the holding member is attached;
An optical connector comprising: An optical fiber terminal processing method for attaching an optical connector to the tip of an optical fiber core,
An optical connector mounting mechanism according to claim 7 is prepared,
An optical fiber core wire is supported by the optical fiber core wire support member at a position where a tip region of the optical fiber core wire protrudes outward from the core wire gripping portion;
The optical fiber core supporting member supporting the optical fiber core is held by the holding member, the first wall is elastically deformed by the pressing force, and is received in the first space. Gripping the gripped region of the optical fiber core wire fixedly to the core wire gripping portion,
The covering of the tip region of the optical fiber core in which the gripped region is fixedly gripped by the core wire gripping portion of the optical fiber core support member is removed over a predetermined length, and the tip region Cut to a predetermined length,
Optical fiber terminal processing method.

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